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R 101756Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9674
INFO RUEHWH/COLLECTIVE WHA DIPL POSTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT OF SPAIN 000054 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/ESPC, USOAS AND INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KSUM MASS TD
SUBJECT: SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS: MEETINGS OF AMBASSADORS MORALES AND 
ROBINSON 
 
REF: (A) Port of Spain 34, (B) State 7413 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: USOAS Ambassador and National Summit Coordinator 
Hector Morales, Jr. and WHA/DAS Ambassador David Robinson visited 
Trinidad February 3-4 to discuss Summit of the Americas 
preparations.  In addition to a session with Prime Minister Manning 
(septel), the Ambassadors met with the National Security Minister, 
Foreign Minister, Attorney General, the GOTT Summit Coordinator, the 
Minister in charge of the Summit Cabinet Committee, the Attorney 
General, and opposition leaders.  Throughout their meetings, the 
Ambassadors pressed for quick action on a diplomatic note to allow 
our forces to deploy to Trinidad and stressed the need for overall 
rapid logistical movement.  The GOTT sought to reassure their 
visitors everything will be ready in time.  A swift written response 
(delivered February 6) was promised to the U.S. draft diplomatic 
note regarding jurisdiction and privileges and immunities for U.S. 
forces deployed in support of security arrangements.  END SUMMARY. 
 
A Full Plate 
------------ 
 
¶2. (U) USOAS Ambassador Hector Morales, Jr. and WHA DAS Ambassador 
David Robinson met with Prime Minister Patrick Manning (septel), 
National Summit Coordinator Luis Alberto Rodriguez, 
Inter-Ministerial Committee Chair Mariano Browne, Minister of 
National Security Martin Joseph, Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, 
Attorney General Brigid Annisette-George, opposition United National 
Congress leader Basdeo Panday, and heads of the diplomatic missions 
of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile and Mexico.  WHA/CAR Director 
Velia De Pirro, WHA/EPSC Deputy Summit Coordinator Tom Pierce, 
Charge and EmbOffs also participated in most meetings. 
 
Overarching Theme: Achieve a Dip Note Exchange 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (SBU) In each GOTT meeting, Ambassadors Morales and Robinson 
underscored the need for a quick action on our proposed exchange of 
diplomatic notes concerning the status of U.S. military personnel 
and civilian contractors who would visit T&T to support Summit 
security (refs).  Each GOTT minister met promised to push for a 
quick written response, recognizing the short timeframe involved 
(U.S. forces would need to begin deploying in March).  (Note: The 
GOTT response was delivered and relayed to Washington on February 
6.) 
 
Rodriguez:  Preparations Advancing 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) GOTT National Summit Coordinator Ambassador Luis Alberto 
Rodriguez met several times privately with Ambassador Morales to 
discuss the Summit declaration and related matters.  In a larger 
February 3 meeting in his office, Rodriguez reassured his guests 
that Summit preparations were well advanced.   Rodriguez related, 
for instance, that top-notch accreditation, media, and conferencing 
firms were already working.  In addition, two cruise ships to house 
delegates would be in Port of Spain on April 13.  Piarco Airport 
preparations were more challenging, but a Chinese construction 
company would upgrade the South terminal and plane parking capacity 
would be expanded to accommodate 42 aircraft (from 17).  Military 
aircraft would be located at the Crowne Point Airport in Tobago. 
 
Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Minister in the Ministry of Finance Mariano Browne, who is 
also the chair of the GOTT Summit Inter-Ministerial Committee, 
hosted a February 3 session that included National Security Minister 
Martin Joseph and Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon (the 
Ambassadors later met privately with the FM).  Browne said work on 
the airport would be tight, but it would be completed on time 
("though you might still smell the paint").  If unforeseen problems 
arose, contingency plans included parking aircraft in neighboring 
islands. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Noting the GOTT had gained valuable experience by 
co-hosting the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Joseph said 450 CARICOM 
personnel would be in country to assist with security.  Asked about 
a "counter-summit," Browne answered that a "People's Forum" to be 
held at the University of the West Indies (several miles from Port 
of Spain) was likely not to be large or disruptive.  Ambassadors 
Morales and Robinson stated that with 71 days before the Summit, now 
was the time to be candid about preparations and avoid surprises. 
Minister Browne acknowledged that the facilities would be ready, but 
they were also addressing human resources issues in order to have 
staff trained and in place by the Summit. 
 
Lunch with Resident Diplomats 
 
PORT OF SP 00000054  002 OF 003 
 
 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Charge hosted a February 3 lunch for the Argentine, 
Brazilian, Canadian, Chilean and Mexican Chiefs of Mission to 
exchange Summit views with Ambassadors Morales and Robinson.  The 
Argentine expressed strong concern about the Summit Secretariat's 
organization, stating preparations were behind schedule.  On the 
substantive agenda, he felt the GOTT has been too focused on 
Caribbean concerns.  He opined that the international financial 
crisis needed more attention, suggesting it be addressed in an 
addendum to the Summit declaration. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Canadian High Commissioner criticized the highly 
centralized management style of the Secretariat, saying there had 
not been enough involvement by the OAS or Foreign Ministry.  The 
Mexican also said OAS assistance had been rebuffed.  The Chilean 
Charge agreed the GOTT needed to move faster.  Taking a somewhat 
different tack, the Brazilian Ambassador cautioned that if the 
Secretariat delegated more, matters would be even less coordinated 
than they are now.  In any case, no time remained to remake the T&T 
Summit structure. 
 
Meeting with FM Paula Gopee-Scoon 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Morales and Robinson met with Foreign Minister Gopee-Scoon 
on February 3 to continue the points raised in the earlier meeting 
with Ministers Browne and Joseph.  Morales urged the Foreign 
Minister to work with the Attorney General to finalize the 
diplomatic note, or at a minimum provide us with their comments to 
the diplomatic note.  The Foreign Minister acknowledged that without 
the diplomatic note, U.S. arrangements could not proceed, and 
Robinson noted the urgency to complete the diplomatic note because 
security operations would need to begin by the start of March in 
order to be in time for the Summit. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The Foreign Minister then noted that relevant Ministers, 
including the Attorney General, planned on meeting the following day 
(February 4) to get an answer.  Morales then asked about the Bahia 
meeting and whether to expect a similar tone in April.  She agreed 
that the Bahia meeting was negative but that given world events 
coupled with the great desire to meet the new President and 
Secretary, she feels that the environment leading up to and during 
the Summit will not be disruptive.  The Foreign Minister plans on 
calling in her counterparts during the next two months to continue 
to build support for the Summit. 
 
Meeting with Opposition UNC 
--------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Ambassador Morales and DAS Robinson met February 3 with 
opposition United National Congress leader Basdeo Panday, who was 
accompanied by MPs Tim Gopeesingh and Vasant Bharath.  The UNC 
message was that most people in Trinidad saw no benefit from hosting 
the SOA, especially in a time of dwindling resources, and that some 
protests would occur.  These would not be to oppose the SOA per se, 
but rather to draw attention to crime, poverty, poor infrastructure, 
and governmental mismanagement.  The opposition leaders also claimed 
the GOTT was keeping them in the dark about the Summit. 
 
Meeting with Minister of National Security 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶12.  (SBU) DAS Robinson, joined by WHA/CAR Director De Pirro, the 
Charge and PolOff, met separately with Minister of National Security 
Martin Joseph February 4 following Ambassador Morales' departure for 
the U.S.  In addition to the pending dip note exchange, they 
discussed the USG's desire to continue the security dialogue with 
CARICOM.  Joseph said CARICOM welcomed this and suggested the next 
meeting take place at a technical level in March.  De Pirro replied 
that many of the personnel who would participate in such a meeting 
are responsible for SOA preparations and that this meeting would 
need to occur post-Summit. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Joseph also reaffirmed the GOTT and CARICOM commitment to 
partnering with the U.S. on security matters, citing eTrace as an 
example.  Joseph continued that the GOTT remains very interested in 
sending a representative to JIATF-South.  He indicated that sorties 
with the RSS scheduled to begin in January had been delayed, as one 
C-26 is still being refurbished.  In closing, he expressed a desire 
to reengage in discussions on how to increase the capacity of GOTT's 
Engineer Corps through an exchange program with the Army Corps of 
Engineers. 
 
Meeting with the Attorney General 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) In their final meeting late February 4, DAS Robinson and 
WHA/CAR Director De Pirro, accompanied by the Charge and PolOff, met 
 
PORT OF SP 00000054  003 OF 003 
 
 
with Attorney General Brigid Annisette-George.  The meeting focused 
on the proposed dip note exchange.  The AG noted the GOTT has 
constitutional concerns with our proposed language on immunity from 
criminal prosecution and the exercise of jurisdiction, with other 
matters in the draft note less problematic.  Ambassador Robinson 
expressed concern about the GOTT's inaction on the dipnote exchange 
and conveyed a sense of urgency about executing it.  He and Ms. De 
Pirro asked that the GOTT provide the rationale for its concerns on 
immunity and jurisdiction in writing, along with alternative 
language, so that USG lawyers could completely understand and 
respond to GOTT concerns.  The AG promised to send a written 
response by February 6 (and, as noted above, this was done). 
 
Comment: Unduly Optimistic 
-------------------------- 
 
¶15. (SBU) The GOTT's assurances that Summit preparations are well 
in-hand seem unduly optimistic.  There is little hard evidence to 
back this up.  We will continue pressing the GOTT to resolve 
outstanding issues and to communicate its activities to all 
appropriate parties.  But as we monitor progress, it is prudent to 
prepare contingency arrangements (e.g., on airport use). 
 
¶16.  (U) This cable has been cleared by Ambassadors Morales and 
Robinson 
 
KUSNITZ